Upon the close of the Festival of Remembrance Event at Durham Cathedral, 2024, Paul was checking that all the props and materials from our production had been accounted for. As he crossed the transept, an errant flurry of poppies rained down from above. They had clearly been ‘stuck’ somewhere above and had released themselves somehow.

Paul tried to catch a few as they came down, but failed. He was about to give up when his eye caught one poppy and he followed it down determined to catch it, which he did.

On it was a name, written in ink. R J Olver.

Paul decided that he would create this page to commemorate that name, that life, that may have been swept away at the end of the evening. This was to keep the promise he made that He Will Remember.

Rex was born on 2nd December 1916 to Leslie Frank Olver and Blanche Louie Olver (nee Maxted). They lived at 313 Blue Bell Hill Road, Nottingham. Rex had an older brother Phillip Leslie, born on 13th January, 1915.

Rex fought in the 6th Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry. His service number was 4979990 and he achieved the rank of Private.

Rex is buried in Bayeux War Cemetery having lost his life in battle in France on 14th June 1944, just over a week after D Day. Rex was 27 years old when he bravely gave his life for his country.

It is likely he lost his life fighting in Operation Perch, in the Lingevres / Verriers areas of Northern France. Two accounts from those who were there are:

“I remember the day… 14th June 1944 I was with ‘B’ Squadron. Our column turned off the road and through the hedgerow. Our commanding officer stood watching us. We took up our positions alongside the infantry…Durham’s I recall…in the distance cornfields bordered by a black wood. Then the barrage opened up. I looked out through the periscope. Orders were given and we moved off…I remember the infantry chest high in the corn. I remember the Troop leader well forward compared to the rest of us who were still line abreast …I remember the plume of smoke from the commanders tank..the shells coming in from the wood well out of range of our 75mm gun..the sergeants tank heading back..a shell landing so close it halted us in our tracks..I remember…. the infantry who realised their support was in trouble and attempted to fall back but were prevented doing so by their officers and NCO`s who waved ..them forward into a hail of bullets that cut them down..I remember the noise the screams the slaughter….and I remember why I choose to forget.”

Another account from Private Ernie Harvey, present that day:

“We were all going into the attack and we were going to cross this cornfield. We got about 20-25yrds into the cornfield when Jerry opened up with Spandaus. Well there was a small groove in the ground where fortunately I got into it. I got down. The men were getting mown down, left, right and centre. In fact the company was getting slaughtered, it’s as simple as that. As those were going down more men were coming up and these were getting knocked down. The cry then was, Mother! Mother! . I know it’s a funny thing but everybody was crying for their mothers! Eventually there was two tanks came up behind us. This was after a long while and all the corn had been completely mown down as though it had been with shears, by the spandaus…we couldn’t move. If you moved you got shot, You had to stay down and I remember the two tanks came up eventually and they blasted this hedge…Eventually we took the position, but the point was that nearly all the men had gone…You’d think they’d expected us coming. I thought that only went on in the World War 1 I never thought that it would have happened in 1944…The sergeant says “Ernie go round and collect the ammo out of the pouches”…and I started gathering the ammo from the wounded and the dead. Of course the stretcher-bearers were coming up and tending the few wounded that was left.. Suddenly this voice said, “Leave that alone! Don’t touch them!” It was the Padre. The tears were streaming from his eyes. I went back to the hedge and this German was running across the field and someone started firing at this German and this chap knocked the gun out of his hands. It was the Padre again. He said, “There’s been enough killing for one day.” The sergeant and he had words…” 

Rex’s father was born in 1889 in Plymouth and was the son of John James a traveller and publisher of 150 Haydn Road Nottingham. The 1911 census records the family as living at 150 Haydn Road, Sherwood and are shown as John James 53 yrs a traveller/publisher, he is living with his wife Elizabeth Hannah 39 yrs and they are living with his son Leslie Frank (22) a lace curtain draughtsman. Leslie’s wife Blanche Louie Maxted was living with her family at 313 Blue Bell Hill Road, Nottingham, at the time of the 1911 Census.

Rex’s mum and dad married in Nottingham in 1914 and lived at 313 Blue Bell Hill Road, Nottingham. They soon welcomed sons Philip Leslie, born 13th January 1915 and Rex John, born 2nd December 1916.

Rex’s father Leslie, a Corporal, died in France during WW1 aged 28, the day after his eldest son Phillip’s second birthday. When his father died, Rex was only 43 days old. Following his father’s death, his widowed mother Blanche was awarded a pension of 24 shillings and 2 pence a week which commenced on 6th August 1917.

Cpl. Leslie Olver, enlisted at Nottingham and initially served with the service number 2506 in the Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire) Regiment. He later transferred to the 10th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment, he died on 14th January 1917 of pneumonia and he is buried in Sailly-au-Bois Military Cemetery.

In memoriam published 14th January 1918 in the Nottingham Evening Post :- OLVER. – In ever-loving memory of my dear husband, Sergt. Leslie Olver, Royal Warwickshires (late Sherwood Foresters), who died January 14th, 1917. Deeply mourned.” In memoriam published 14th January 1919 in the Nottingham Evening Post :- “OLVER. – In loving memory of my dear husband, Leslie Olver, who died on active service January 14th, 1917. All he had he gave to save mankind, himself he scorned to save.”